Gin fire extinguisher



April .3, 1956 w s, FERGUSON ET AL 2,74 3

GIN/1 1m; EXTINGUISHER Filed June 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W/LL/AM S. FERGUSON JOSEPH l/ FERGUSON .ZT

BY I

ATTORNEY April 3, 1956 w. s. FERGUSON ET AL 2,740,163

GIN FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed June 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W/LL/AM S. FERGUSON JOSEPH V. FERGUSONH BY 55 Kim-ii ATTORNEY United States Patent C GIN FIRE EXTINGUISHER William S. Ferguson, Monroe, and Joseph V. Ferguson II, New Orleans, La.

Application June 8, 1954, Serial No. 435,148

8 Claims. (CI. 19-39 This invention relates to extinguishing fires in cotton gins with carbon dioxide and the like. It is common in the arts to use carbon dioxide to smother and extinguish fires of many different types. In the present invention, the flooding of an entire cotton gin with carbon dioxide is so timed in relation to the normal operation of the gin as to give maximum extinguishing speed with an optimum distribution and use of carbon dioxide. This system not only floods the gin with CO2 gas but the saturation is such that all oxygen is removed from the interior of the gin. Further, the cotton is so impregnated that it acts as an additional extinguishing agent. The nozzles distributing gas to the condenser and gin stands, defined as shielding nozzles, receive a sufficient concentration of gas so that any oxygen entering the gin through the openings of the condenser and gin stands meets a concentration of gas which prevents support of combustion.

Cotton gins utilize a large flow of air from the feed end of the gin to the delivery end of the gin. It has been found that if carbon dioxide is suddenly thrust into an operating system, the tremendous air llow through the gin will simply sweep out the carbon dioxide while continuously bringing in a fresh supply of oxygen. It is well known that a fire in a cotton gin spreads very rapidly and that maximum speed in obtaining a carbon dioxide blanket in the gin is essential. It has now been found that if carbon dioxide is introduced into the cotton gin from a plurality of nozzles operating sequentially from the point of greatest need towards the points of lesser need throughout the gin at that instant just prior to the end of the air flow through a stopped gin, the continued movement of the air will spread the carbon dioxide to all parts of the gin and every element of the gin will be blanketed with carbon dioxide in a minimum of time with no excessive use of carbon dioxide. Because of the fact that every cotton gin operates under specific conditions with respect to air flow and the like, which are peculiar to that particular gin, it is necessary to specifically adapt the apparatus of this invention for each gin.

The gist of the present invention lies not in the specific mechanism engineered and designed for one particular gin, but in the provision of a basic method and apparatus which can be specifically adapted to any cotton gin by measuring certain variables and applying conventional design engineering in accordance with the construction limitations set forth herein. To utilize this invention on an existing cotton gin, one must do the following:

(1) Determine the cubic capacity of the gin and the volume of air flow through the gin;

(2) Determine the time required to stop the air flow through the gin noting the time required to bring the air flow to about 20% of normal;

(3) Construct, in accordance with known design principles, the pipes leading from the carbon dioxide cylinders to the discharge nozzles so that carbon dioxide will be first discharged into the gin at the instant when the air flow through the stopping gin is from about to 40% and preferably about of normal;

(4) The pipes should include a cylinder manifold, a feed line from cylinder manifold to overhead control manifold and drop feed lines spaced and sized to deliver carbon dioxide to nozzle manifolds on the gin elements in the following sequence:

(a) Separator, distributor, and gin stands (b) Optional cleaners (c) Dryer (d) Condenser (5) The carbon dioxide delivery should be timed so that the last nozzle to start discharging carbon dioxide will begin discharge just before the air flow from the normal operation of the gin stops.

(6) Provide a carbon dioxide supply equal to one pound per six cubic feet of open gin cubic capacity plus the amount of cubic capacity of the cotton ducts.

This invention will be better understood by reference to the attached drawings showing a standard cotton gin modified in accordance with the instant invention. In the drawings,

Figure l is a front elevation in diagrammatic representation of one cotton gin modified in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the invention as illustrated in Figure 1.

The drawings are diagrammatic because the gist of this invention lies more in the relative arrangement of the extinguishing system rather than in the specific plumbing utilized to carry out the concepts of the invention. The illustrated cotton gin, modified in accordance with this invention, had a cubic capacity of 20,000 cubic feet per minute of air displacement produced by electrically driven suction and blower fans of standard construction. With this particular displacement figure, it was found desirable to use A pipe for the main supply duct and the main manifold and the remainder of the piping was /2. It will be readily apparent that the size of pipe could be varied by varying the length of the lines without departing from the scope of this invention. In the drawings, there is shown a generally standard cotton gin comprising a condenser 10, a distributor 12, a series of gin stands 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, a series of lint cleaners 215, 216, 217, 218 and 219, which are optional equipment, a separator 22, a jumbo 224, also considered optional, and a drying tower 26.

Associated with the above-named elements of the gin is a fire extinguishing assembly. The assembly includes a source of carbon dioxide, nozzles in the various elements of the gin for discharging carbon dioxide, and pipe interconnecting the source of carbon dioxide with the nozzles. The source of carbon dioxide is a series of carbon dioxide cylinders indicated generally at 30. Since the gin had a cubic capacity of 2655 feet, 450 pounds of carbon dioxide were provided in a single bank, the equation being one pound of gas equals 5.9 cubic feet. A lesser amount lowers efficiency, and a greater amount is wasteful. Carbon dioxide discharge nozzles are located throughout the gin as follows:

Nozzle 101Condenser Nozzle 102Condenser Nozzle 103-Distributor Nozzle 104-Distributor Nozzle 10STop of the gin stands Nozzle 106Top of the gin stands Nozzle 107Top of the gin stands Nozzle 108-Top of the gin stands Nozzle 109Top of the gin stands Nozzle 301Distributor Nozzle -Middle of the gin stands. Nozzle 126Middle of the gin stands Nozzle 127-Middle of the gin stands Nozzle 128-Middle of the gin stands Nozzle 129Middle of the gin stands Nozzle 130Lint cleaners Nozzle 131Lint cleaners Nozzle 132Lint cleaners Nozzle 133Lint cleaners Nozzle 134Lint cleaners Nozzle 135Front of the gin stands Nozzle 136-Front of the gin stands Nozzle 137Front of the gin stands Nozzle 138-Front of the gin stands Nozzle 139Front of the gin stands Nozzle 140-Jumbo Nozzle 142Separator Nozzle 150Drying tower Nozzle 151-Drying tower A control feed manifold 50 extends the length of the gin for distributing the carbon dioxide. Manifold 50 is fed by supply pipe 52 which is connected at its other end to a supply manifold 54 connected with each of the carbon dioxide cylinders 30. A manual pull lever diagrammatically shown at 56 will, on a single movement, release the carbon dioxide gas in the supply cylinders so that it may be distributed to the nozzles and at the same instant will throw a switch (not shown) to shut off all electric power actuating the gin and its fans and blowers. A series of drop feed lines extend from the control feed manifold 50 to the various nozzles positioned within the elements of the gin and all of these drop feed lines terminate in secondary manifolds for final distribution of the fire extinguishing gas. The relative position of the drop feed lines on the manifold determines which of them will receive the carbon dioxide first, and together with the use of the orifice size of the nozzles, determine which unit of the gin will receive the greatest amount of carbon dioxide.

Nearest to supply pipe 52 are drop feed lines 60 and 62 leading to the separator and distributor and to the middle of the gin stands, respectively. Drop feed lines 60 and 62 terminate in secondary manifolds 69 and 63, respectively, which distribute the gas to the discharge nozzles. Manifold 69 feeds nozzles 103, 301, 104 and 142, while manifold 63 feeds nozzles 125 to 129 inclusive. Following the sequential pattern, drop feed lines 64 and 66 receive carbon dioxide next, the former being connected to manifold 71 and thence to nozzles 135 to 139 inclusive, one in each gin stand. Manifold 71 is also connected to pipe 116 which leads to a nozzle in a lint flue below floor level (not shown). Line 66 feeds nozzles 105 through 109, inclusive, through manifold 67. In like manner a drop feed line 68 carries carbon dioxide to manifold 61 which feeds nozzles 130 to 134 inclusive, and drop feed line 70 carries carbon dioxide to line 141 and nozzle 140 in the jumbo or burr extractor. Drop feed line 72 feeds nozzles 150 and 151 in the dryer and drop feed line 74 feeds manifold 75 which in turn feeds nozzles 101 and 102 in the condenser. The over-all length of the control feed manifold is 20. A nipple at each end of the manifold in addition for the purpose of causing the carbon dioxide to be forced into all the drop feed lines evenly under back pressure. Obviously if an elbow were used to connect the end of the manifold 50 with each of the more distant drop feed lines 72 and 74 they would to some degree starve the other lines by reason of the momentum of the moving material and its tending to following the path of least resistance.

The length of manifold 50 (20 with a 15" nipple at either end) is divided as follows:

Manifold 50 from supply 52 to line 602.6 ft. Manifold 50 from supply 52 to line 622.6 ft. Manifold 50 from supply 52 to line 644.6 ft. Manifold 50 from supply 52 to line 664.6 ft. Manifold 50 from supply 52 to line 686.6 ft. Manifold 50 from supply 52 to line 707.6 ft.

4 Manifold 50 from supply 52 to line 729.6 ft. Manifold 50 from supply 52 to end of line in the direction of line 7211.3 ft. Manifold 50 from supply 52 to line 749.6 ft.

Manifold 50 from supply 52 to end of line in the direction of line 74l1.3 ft.

In the above table all measurements were made between the center of supply 52 and the nearest edge of the fitting at each drop feed line.

By means of this construction, it will be seen that carbon dioxide is first discharged into the separator, distributor and gin stands where it is most needed and that carbon dioxide will continue to be discharged there in the greatest volume so that they will be extensively blanketed at the same time carbon dioxide is being rapidly distributed to each of the other critical points in the gin. It will also be seen that the separator and distributor are points from which carbon dioxide will be most readily distributed through the gin by the flow of air therethrough. It will also be seen that the present construction provides a system which can be opened and put into timed sequential operation in proper relation to the stopping of the gin by the manual manipulation of a single release without relying on any automatic operation which might be subject to mechanical or electrical failure. The maintenance of such a system is very inexpensive and its operation is almost foolproof.

On seeing a fire, one immediately pulls handle 56, which releases the gas from the cylinders and activates a pressure switch shutting off the flow of electricity to the power units of the gin, the blowers, etc. (and throwing out the engine clutch and retarding the throttle where other power is used) and opens the connection of the carbon dioxide source with the system of extinguisher pipes. Carbon dioxide gas follows the normal path of least resistance and rapidly moves to the appropriate points. In the system shown, in the first two seconds, 58% of the air flowing power through the gin had been lost; in 4 seconds, had been lost; and in 12 seconds, all motion due to the regular air flow had been lost. In the same system, carbon dioxide reached the end of manifold 69 through drop feed line 68 within four seconds, and it was five seconds later, or nine seconds after the system had been activated, before carbon dioxide was received at nozzles 101 and 102 and nozzle 116.

The length of the nipples shown at each end of the main manifold depends on the distance in elevation that the main manifold is established above the gin and the distance between the various component parts of the gin on the floor plan. For example, in the drawings, there is a IS-inch nipple attached at each end of the main manifold, and they are plugged to create necessary back pressures to feed the drop feed lines. The 15 inches was based on the distance to the most remote elements of the gin and the formulation is broken down to 1%. inches of nipple for each two running feet of line to the most distant nozzle. The formulation is the same, regardless of the distance. Obviously, the main manifold does not have to be overhead, but can be placed in any part of the gin building that is deemed most available.

Although the present invention is described with particular reference to carbon dioxide, the invention is also applicable for use with other extinguishing fluids, such as water, dry chemical extinguishers, nitrogen and foam. In such event the system would be adapted to use other extinguishing agents by the use of different size pipes and nozzles.

In the system shown, each nozzle delivers ten pounds of gas per minute with the exception of nozzles and 142, which deliver 20 pounds of gas per minute, and nozzles 101 and 102 which deliver 30 pounds per minute. This variation is achieved by use of the control feed manifold and by alternating the orifice size of the various nozzles.

The word valve as used in the claims, is used in the ordinary sense of the word and is specifically intended to cover those means of releasing carbon dioxide from the cylinders in which it is usually supplied. Thus, the valve referred to in the claims may be positioned on the carbon dioxide cylinders themselves and carbon dioxide may be released by having a seal valve punctured by a release head that is often attached to the top of the cylinders, according to standard practice.

I claim:

1. In combination with a source of pressure propelled fluid fire extinguishing material and a cotton gin includ ing a plurality of operating elements and driven means for creating an air draft therethrough means for extinguishing fires in said gin comprising a discharge nozzle positioned in each of the elements of said gin, pipes interconnecting said source of material with each of said nozzles, 21 valve for said source, and unitary means operable to simultaneously cut off the driving power of the gin and open said valve, the length of said pipes being regulated to deliver the first discharge of material from said nozzles at a time coinciding with the time when the operating air draft through the. gin has fallen below about 40% of normal but not below about of normal.

2. In combination, a source of carbon dioxide, a cotton gin including a plurality of operating elements and machinery for creating an operating air draft therethrough, discharge nozzles positioned through the operating elements of said gin for discharging carbon dioxide therein, pipes interconnecting said source of carbon dioxide and said nozzles, flow control means for said source, and means for stopping said machinery and opening said flow control means in such a relation that the carbon dioxide first will be discharged through said nozzles, just prior to the instant when the operating draft of air through the gin is stopped.

3. In combination with a source of carbon dioxide and a cotton gin including as elements thereof a separator, a distributor, gin stands, a drier, a condenser and machinery for creating an operating air draft therethrough, and means for distributing the carbon dioxide to said gin comprising a valve for said source, a discharge nozzle positioned in each of said elements of the gin for discharging carbon dioxide therein, pipes interconnecting said source of carbon dioxide and said nozzles the size and configuration of said pipes being regulated to control the amount of time required for CO2 to fiow from said source to each nozzle so that it is less than the time required for the operating draft of the gin to stop after the machinery is stopped, said means being further regulated in size and configuration to sequentially deliver CO2 to said nozzles beginning at the separator, and unitary means for stopping said machinery and opening said valve whereby the carbon dioxide first will be discharged through a nozzle just prior to the instant when the operating draft of air through the gin is stopped.

4. In combination with a cotton gin which includes as elements thereof, a separator, a distributor, gin stands, a drier, a condenser and machinery for creating an operating air flow therethrough, a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher comprising a source of carbon dioxide, a valve for said source, a nozzle in each of said gin elements, pipes interconnecting said nozzles and said source, and control means for stopping said machinery and releasing carbon dioxide from said source into said pipes, said pipes including a manifold, a supply pipe extending from said source to said manifold and a delivery pipe for each nozzle, the length and diameter of said delivery pipe in relation to their position of connection to said manifold being so regulated with respect to one another that CO2 is sequentially delivered to said gin elements in the following order:

(1) Separator, distributor and gin stands (2) Drier (3) Condenser and the same dimensions of said pipes being so regulated that the first carbon dioxide discharge occurs at the time when the air flow through the gin is below about 40% of normal and the last nozzle to receive carbon dioxide starts discharging before air flow through the gin is totally stopped.

5. In combination with a cotton gin which includes as elements thereof, a condenser, a lint flue, lint cleaners, a jumbo, a separator, driers and driven means for creating an operating air flow therethrough, a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher comprising a source of carbon dioxide, a discharge nozzle in each of said gin elements, pipes interconnecting said nozzles and said source, and control means for stopping said driven means and releasing carbon dioxide from said source into said pipes, said pipes including a manifold, a supply pipe extending from said source to said manifold and a delivery pipe for each nozzle, the length and diameter of said delivery pipe and the manifold and supply pipe being so regulated that the first carbon dioxide discharge occurs at the time when the air flow through the gin is below about 40% of normal and the last nozzle to receive carbon dioxide starts discharging before air flow through the gin is totally stopped.

6. The method of extinguishing fires in cotton gins which include a plurality of separate work stations and means for creating an operating air fiow therethrough which comprises stopping the means for creating said air flow and releasing substantial quantities of an extinguishing fluid in the separate work stations after the air flow has fallen below about 40% of normal and before it has fallen below about 10%.

7. The method of extinguishing fires in a cotton gin which includes as elements thereof a condenser, a drier, a separator, a distributor, gin stands and means for creating an operating air flow therethrough which comprises stopping the means for creating said air flow and releasing substantial quantities of an extinguishing fluid into said gin elements sequentially in the following order:

(1) Separator, distributor and gin stands (2) Drier (3) Condenser.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the extinguishing fluid is first released into the separator, distributor and gin stands after the air flow has dropped below about 40% of normal and the fluid is first released in the condenser before the air flow is totally stopped.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,311,374 Farmer et al Feb. 16, 1943 

